According to the e-Portal of the Can Tho City Tourism Development Center (Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho City), Can Tho Market (also known as Can Tho Ancient Market or Can Tho Market Cage) is located right next to Ninh Kieu wharf in the central area of Can Tho city.
With unique architecture first built in 1915, the project was renovated in 2005. In the past, this place was a wholesale market of the Mekong Delta provinces.
To date, the market mainly sells souvenirs and gifts to serve tourists. This place is loved by tourists, taking photos and is considered one of the symbols of Can Tho city.
On March 23, according to Lao Dong's records, many kiosks were closed because there were no traders. The row of kiosks was unused, dusty and messy for a long time.
Most of the kiosks on the front are still open regularly, while many kiosks inside have mostly closed.
Unable to hide her disappointment, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Lan (40 years old, a tourist from Da Nang City) shared: "Some places sell, some are empty, chaotic, the deeper you go into the market, the more disappointed you are. Souvenirs also don't have many unique things.
At a stall, Ms. Tran Thi Mai (name requested to be changed, 65 years old) confided that even though the kiosk still has empty space, she is no longer interested in displaying more goods because she believes that "even if she displays them, few people will buy".
Attached to the market for nearly 20 years, she said she is very sad to see many stalls closed. Among about 80 kiosks in the market, more than half have stopped operating.
According to her, small traders usually sell goods until about 10 pm, mainly relying on overseas Vietnamese or foreign tourists. However, the number of customers is also unstable. "Only at the end of the year, from Christmas to Tet, when there are more tourists, there may be a small profit, but only a few million VND per month. The remaining months are selling very slowly, sometimes even losing money" - she said.
The cost of renting premises and taxes is about 6 million VND per month. According to Ms. Mai's calculations, each day she has to make a profit of at least about 200,000 VND to cover expenses. But in reality, sometimes for several consecutive days no one opens a business, or only sells a few small items worth tens of thousands of VND.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Le (name requested to be changed, 68 years old), owner of a clothing stall at Can Tho ancient market, said she has been attached to trading here for nearly two decades.
In her old age, she said that if she quit selling, she would not know how to find another job to make a living. But recently, business has become so sluggish that she never thought about it. "Some days I open the door from 8 am, and only at 8 pm do people stop by to buy the first dish. After selling a few small items, I pack up and leave" - Ms. Le recounted, her voice full of disappointment.
According to Ms. Le, people's shopping habits have changed significantly in recent years. As online shopping is becoming more and more popular, many people no longer visit the markets as before. Traditional markets are therefore gradually losing their appeal, and the number of customers is decreasing. The prolonged sluggish trading scene has caused many small traders to abandon their counters and find other livelihoods.
